Living in Loei

[kiwidad]

Hi All, Anybody ever lived in Loei? or any expats living there now, any insights as to what to expect. Cheers

[NeverSure]

Hi Kiwidad, There are some guys in Loei that post here but no one has read this I guess. Keep checking back and someone will be along.

I can't answer directly because I don't live there and have been there just once. Welcome to the forum. You'll get some replies.

[NanLaew]

I have to survey a high speed rail link through there so I am very interested in the locale before we come and set up camp.

[tolsti]

Just make sure you get paid upfront!

[dddave]

Quiet and quite beautiful. I see your avatar is a motorcycle...beautiful riding country; fairly quiet roads with a lot of really nice scenery Very Lao in culture, food and language.

Edited June 14, 2015 by dddave

[Issangeorge]

I have to survey a high speed rail link through there so I am very interested in the locale before we come and set up camp.

What high speed train is planned for Loie?

[LindaLovelace]

I have to survey a high speed rail link through there so I am very interested in the locale before we come and set up camp.

Just curious, why aren't they using Thai surveyors for the train project?

[Old Croc]

These pics were taken near Dan Sai recently. Haven't been there myself.

[NanLaew]

The Nok Air in-flight magazine last month was all about Loei, full of guides, where to stay, places to go, see and eat.

[NanLaew]

I have to survey a high speed rail link through there so I am very interested in the locale before we come and set up camp.

What high speed train is planned for Loie?

The Thai-Japanese one between Mukdahan in the east and Tak in the west.

I have to survey a high speed rail link through there so I am very interested in the locale before we come and set up camp.

Just curious, why aren't they using Thai surveyors for the train project?

They will, but there are foreign consultants involved in the design and planning stages.

[zoolander]

Lived there for a year .

Plenty of apartments to rent but not many decent houses to rent or even built.

Tesco is about 10 km from the city, but big c, Makro and Home Hub fairly central.

Has a few nice Thai restaurants but no farang places except for a bikers bar.

The university is 10 km away.

I found it a bit cooler compared to the rest of Isaan.

Has a golf, swimming etc. I found the roads dangerous for cycling with local drivers particularly awful.

The scenery is nice with easy access to Chiangkhan or the mountains.

I enjoying my time there but if your single it may get boring.

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Tapatalk

[tommyj]

I stay around Loei. The best thing about it is you can buy a plane ticket to Bangkok 700 - 1000 baht daily. Try to organise your own transport, everything is quite far apart. I been here on and off past 4 years, it is getting better since the airport was put in. When I first started "living" here it was a 12 hour bus trip. So it seems to be improving fast now that it has become more accessible.

[Deli]

My GF is from Loei and she keeps on telling me: You not happy in Loei ! Not good for Farang...

I just trust her, this is why I never saw it.

[Catweazel]

Great place to live, especially if you don't need the madness of Bangkok, ChiangMai etc. You'll find all you need to make yourself a pleasant life. Not too many farangs.... and that's a plus! Learn Thai, and the Thai ways. CU there.

[kbelyeu]

I would suggest a visit.. head over to Loei Saloon and have a chat with the friendly German proprietor.

Kurt

[squarethecircle]

Loei city is very friendly, I stayed there for a month. Nice hotel for 300 baht a night, good market, nice waterfront garden area, locals welcoming as well. As someone said it's very Lao in culture.

[deonvz]

Loei is a good place to retire and has become easier to get some western luxuries now that they have Tesco and Big C and as another member has mentioned great roads for motorcycles once you get out of town. Thali border crossing into Laos is not that far away but you also have the option of doing the scenic trip along the Mehkong from Chiang Khan to Nong Khai and then cross over into Laos from there. The area has many mountains and caves and well known for flowers towards Dan Sai and they have the famous Phitakhon(ghost festival) there every year. The only down side is that the traffic police seem to love tea more than usual there. I used to spend a lot of time there but have since moved to Chanthaburi province because the ocean is a long way from Loei.

[TheKnave]

Loei good. Me like.

[gwynt]

I have lived, there and used the place as a base when working out of the Kingdom and absolutely love the place.

Been some time since I have been there as I have been working in Thailand so no leave cycle for the last two years, but will finish up in a week or so and will be on my way back "Home"

The local hotel restaurant has a German owner Thai food is good there, also a falang restaurant/bar, German beer and food plus pizza, in town where a group of various nationalities meet up for food and beer, some nice guys. Also has the Loei Palace hotel good quality 4* European food with staff speaking English.

The land my wife owns ins out of town a bit,12Km, in Nadin Dam village lots of family and friends but very little English spoken, the market owner and the English teacher. As stated before beautiful scenery with lots to see, and really friendly people. I had occasion to use the Loei Ram hospital cut my hand, found the service good and cheap, my wife had to stay there once, bitten by a monkey?? so stayed to check for Rabies, was covered on insurance but was not a huge amount. There is a new government hospital there as well.

Lots of caves including Pa Ya caves which has a Wat near by, every night about 5.30-6.00 thousands of bats emerge, quite a spectacular sight.

Many places along the Mehkong to eat and visit Chiang Khan is an old world Thai town with nice guest houses but busy on weekends with Thai tourists.

Getting carried away with all the positives but then I love the place and look forward to retiring there.

[dddave]

It's been at least six years since I've been there. This thread has me thinking about a return trip. I love lazy days by the Mekong, just sitting with a beer and a book and the river traffic floating past.

[HansIsaan]

Great place to live, especially if you don't need the madness of Bangkok, ChiangMai etc. You'll find all you need to make yourself a pleasant life. Not too many farangs.... and that's a plus! Learn Thai, and the Thai ways. CU there.

Catweazle...are you reallly a newbie?

[Issangeorge]

I have to survey a high speed rail link through there so I am very interested in the locale before we come and set up camp.

What high speed train is planned for Loie?

The Thai-Japanese one between Mukdahan in the east and Tak in the west.

I have to survey a high speed rail link through there so I am very interested in the locale before we come and set up camp.

Just curious, why aren't they using Thai surveyors for the train project?

They will, but there are foreign consultants involved in the design and planning stages.

I'm surprised it's going that far north.

[Tiger55]

Great place to live, especially if you don't need the madness of Bangkok, ChiangMai etc. You'll find all you need to make yourself a pleasant life. Not too many farangs.... and that's a plus! Learn Thai, and the Thai ways. CU there.

" Not too many farangs.... and that's a plus! " Hahaha.....that's funny. Farangs trying to stay away from other farangs. Just goes to show you, even farangs don't like each other!

[houston]

Anybody ever lived in Loei? any insights as to what to expect.?

Hi, I am near Loei and go Loei regularly for shopping. The town develop quickly since 5 years ago. It's a medium town with all basic commodies, not too much entertainement, little boring if you live only in Loei.

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Around Loei, it has beautiful landscape, nice nature as Chiankhan with the mekong river, phurua with mountain in high altitude (cold, pine trees ...), good road and places to discover if you bike. Laos frontier is not very far so easy to go for discovery.

I plan to live permanently there in a little village (ban ahi) near Thali, have an american and a french but french is gone now. I build the house at the village but workers in the village are really not good , not same standard as in europe or usa. I dont know well expats at loei but it has a big expat community at udon thani, you can go to make a tour. My idea is you or someone organize for a Loei expat community, less boring for expat living at this place.

[thrilled]

I understand it's about an hour's drive from Udon.I have never heard anything bad about the town.I plan on checking it out hopefully sooner than later.

[Pla shado]

We live near Udon Thani. It's about 150 km to Loei. A couple of hours drive.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Pla shado

[Si Thea01]

I have retired to and have resided in Loei for the past two years. It's 150 kilometres west of Udon Thani, and is about 2 hours and 15 minutes drive along Route 210. The roads are quite good, which are being expanded to dual carriageways, however, at the moment there are still quite a few kilometres of single lane carriageways. The drivers of trucks, buses, cars and cyclists along this route are just as is found all over Thailand, so you must be very vigilant, especially at night.

Loei itself, which is the capital of Loei Province, is like a large country town but has a few city benefits such as Big C, Tesco Lotus and Makro, which are starting to carry some western lines of produce. If you want more, than Udon Thani is where to shop. There is not a lot of night life, a few bars, which I think are of poor quality, and don't visit, however, there is a movie theatre, KFC and Pizza company but no McDonalds and plenty of food sellers, both roadside and restaurants, all of which have great Thai food.

I have tried many of these in the past two years and found a number that suit my taste but others I would not go back to. It is hard to recommend, as what I like might not suit another so it's best to find out for one's self. If your single, then one could find the area a little boring but then that depends on one's life style and expectations. I have found the people to be quite shy, however, if you offer them a smile and a nod, you will receive the same back. Also if you speak a little Thai, it will help you immensely in being accepted within the community. However, many shop owners do speak some English so you should not have too much problem in communicating. It does not have a large Farang community, but if you want that, than it's Udon for you.

Loei is very hot throughout the year but in the wet season it gets cooler and is quite liveable. It is not far from many tourist areas, such as Chaing Kan, Nong Khai, Dan Sai, Tha Li and only 60 kilometres from the Lao border. All are within a few hours drive from Loei. Dan Sai is about 80 kilometres from Loei on route 203, and owing to this are being a lot cooler, there are a large number of completed resorts and more being built along that highway to cater for tourists from BKK and other parts of Thailand. Land in Loei is also being bought up by BKK residents as holiday homes or by retirees. The area has many good roads that are suitable for bikers and the scenery is great.

My wife and I live on about 3 Rai adjacent to the Loei River. Our Mo Baan is only 4 kilometres from the heart of the city and right at the back of the village, so is exceptionally quite. In addition, being the only Farang doe not cause any concern as I can communicate with the locals, so loneliness does not set in. The people are quiet, mind their own business but are quite shy, however, once they know one speaks Thai, they are really friendly. I wouldn't live anywhere else. If you do come here, please enjoy yourself in our great City.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Si Thea01

[chuckd]

I understand it's about an hour's drive from Udon.I have never heard anything bad about the town.I plan on checking it out hopefully sooner than later.

Plan on between two and three hours. I live a little over 100 kilometers from Udorn and 60 kilometers to Loei, just off highway 210, which is the major highway between Udorn and Loei.

You will have four lane divided until some 15 kilometers outside Nong Bua Lamphu, heading west toward Wang Saphung. You will then hit the highway of death for the better part of 60 kilometers. Heavy truck traffic and farm equipment on the roads.

Just don't get impatient and always anticipate at least 20% of oncoming traffic will be, at least partially, in your lane. They will be passing slow traffic and can't wait.

Good luck, drive defensively.

[gregitt]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Loei-Gentlemens-Motorcycle-Club/438022066276684?ref_type=bookmark most of us live in or near Loei.....feel free to ask...

[elliss]

wow, so many informed replies , thx .

I visited Loei ten years ago , stayed in the King hotel ,, after 3 days , I was Pssd ,Off. bored

Went there last year , with a group of bikers ..

Loei ,was as boring as ever . a peaceful, place to die... of boredom.

Edited June 21, 2015 by elliss